Services Provider License Agreement Cloud Platform Suite & Guest Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Last modified February 2014 Table of Contents Q1. What is the Cloud Platform Suite?... 2 Q2. What is the Cloud Platform Guest?... 2 Q3. Why should I run the Cloud Platform Suite and Guest?... 2 Q4. What is a host fabric?... 2 Q5. How is the Cloud Platform Suite and Guest licensed?... 2 Q6. Can I manage the Linux Guests running on the Cloud Platform Suite without additional cost?... 3 Q7. Can I also manage the different editions of Windows Server Guests running on the Cloud Platform Suite without additional cost?... 3 Q8. How do I get the bits for the Cloud Platform Suite?... 3 Q9. What is the difference between the Microsoft Cloud Platform Suite and the Core Infrastructure Suite?... 3 Q10. Can I run the Microsoft Cloud Platform Guest on a hypervisor other than a Microsoft Cloud Platform Suite running Windows Server 2012R2 and System Center 2012R2?... 4 Q11. What is the pricing of the Cloud Platform Suite and Guest in SPLA?... 4 Q12. What are the components of the Cloud Platform Guest?... 4 Q13. What are the components of the Cloud Platform Host?... 4 Q14. Which components of the Host do I have to install?... 4 Q15. I am looking for pricing details for the new offers in SPLA. Who can I reach out to?... 5 Q16. I have licensing questions on existing products that I can t find the answers to in the available documents. Who can I reach out to?... 5 1
Cloud Platform Suite, Cloud Platform Guest Q1. What is the Cloud Platform Suite? The Microsoft Cloud Platform Suite (CP Suite) is a new licensing offer from Microsoft available for service providers in the Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) channel starting January 2014. This offer provides a new option for SPLA partners to license their host separately with a single host platform to standardize all workloads and the management flexibility to run Windows Server and Linux workloads anywhere in their infrastructure. Q2. What is the Cloud Platform Guest? The Microsoft Cloud Platform Guest (CP Guest) is a new licensing offer from Microsoft available for service providers in the SPLA channel, starting January 2014. This offer provides a new option for SPLA partners to license their guests separately and standardize all workloads. Q3. Why should I run the Cloud Platform Suite and Guest? The Cloud Platform Suite provides heterogeneous virtual guest environments with one management system across multiple server operating systems. The Cloud Platform Suite is ideal for virtualized servers running applications built on multiple server operating systems. It is the most cost-efficient option when running up to 11 instances on a two-processor server compared to Core Infrastrucure Suite Datacenter offer in SPLA today. The CP Suite and CP Guest offer is designed for services providers who are deploying the Microsoft host fabric across multiple physical servers, creating a single, managed pool of infrastructure resources to run and manage all of their virtualized hosted applications and data in guest virtual machines. The host fabric is built and operated using the Windows Azure Pack for Windows Server, System Center 2012R2, and Windows Server 2012R2 with the Hyper-V role deployed. Virtual machines running on the host fabric will include management components as well as customer workloads, which means that servers within the host fabric will be operating virtualized management server workloads as well as guest workloads (SharePoint, SQL Server, or other) simultaneously. No single physical server will be running all of the software licensed as part of the CP Suite (host) SKU. Q4. What is a host fabric? A host fabric is a collection of physical and virtual operating system environments (OSEs) that are configured and operated as a unit to provide virtualization, networking, management, and website and file services. Q5. How is the Cloud Platform Suite and Guest licensed? The Cloud Platform Suite is licensed in a Host plus Guest model. A customer will purchase a Microsoft Cloud Platform Suite license for the hardware to create the host fabric in which 2
instances can run. This is considered the Host license. This is a per processor licensing model where all the processors in the host fabric have to be licensed. The customer will purchase individual Microsoft CP Guest licenses for each of the virtual instances that they want to run. A customer must license the highest number of virtual instances that they run in a given month. This is a per instance licensing model, one license for each guest. The Cloud Platform Suite and Guest includes two SKUs: Host SKU: Includes Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2, and Windows Azure Pack, host capabilities and rights to manage all guests Guest SKU: Includes Windows Server 2012 R2 guest capabilities Q6. Can I manage the Linux Guests running on the Cloud Platform Suite without additional cost? Yes, The Host license provides rights to manage CP Guests (licensed separately) and other Guests (like Linux) hosted on your host. Q7. Can I also manage the different editions of Windows Server Guests running on the Cloud Platform Suite without additional cost? The Windows Server running as a guest through other editions can run on the CP Suite host. To manage other editions of Windows Server guests by the fabric, a separate System Center Server Management license is needed. Q8. How do I get the bits for the Cloud Platform Suite? The bits for Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2, and Windows Azure Pack will be available on the Volume License Service Center (VLSC). Q9. What is the difference between the Microsoft Cloud Platform Suite and the Core Infrastructure Suite? There are two important differences between the CP Suite and the Core Infrastructure Suite: Licensing Model: They have different licensing models. The CP Suite brings a new Host and Guest licensing model. Environments: CP Suite and CP Guest is ideal up to 11 instances. While the Core Infrastructure Suite is ideal for managing a homogeneous environment of Windows Server workloads, the CP Suite enables customers to manage a heterogeneous environment running multiple server operating systems. 3
Q10. Can I run the Microsoft Cloud Platform Guest on a hypervisor other than a Microsoft Cloud Platform Suite running Windows Server 2012R2 and System Center 2012R2? No, the Microsoft CP Guest can only be run on a Microsoft Cloud Platform host fabric, based on Windows Server 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 R2 or future versions. You have to run the CP Guest on a server licensed with the CP Suite and running the HyperV functionality of the Microsoft CP Suite software. Q11. What is the pricing of the Cloud Platform Suite and Guest in SPLA? The new Cloud Platform Suite and Guest licensing and pricing information will be available to SPLA partners in January 2014. Product Name January 2014*** Cloud Platform Suite Host License* Cloud Platform Guest License** $3.00 USD $21.00 USD *per processor **per instance ***Approximate; please contact your SPLA reseller for actual pricing Q12. What are the components of the Cloud Platform Guest? The CP Guest has the following component: Windows Server 2012R2. Q13. What are the components of the Cloud Platform Host? The CP Suite software includes the following components: Windows Server 2012 R2 This component is used as the operating system for physical and virtual OSEs running on your Host Fabric. System Center 2012 R2 This component is used to to manage the physical and virtual OSEs in your Host Fabric and to manage instances of the CP Guest that are hosted on your Host Fabric. Windows Azure Pack for Windows Server This component is used on any physical or virtual OSE in your Host Fabric. SQL Server 2012 Standard This component is used only to support System Center 2012 R2 and/or Windows Azure Pack. Q14. Which components of the Host do I have to install? The Host licenses requires using the Hyper-V virtualization functionality of the Microsoft CP Suite on a server assigned the required number of Microsoft CP Suite licenses. 4
Q15. I am looking for pricing details for the new offers in SPLA. Who can I reach out to? Microsoft-designated SPLA resellers set final pricing in the SPLA program. Partners: For pricing in SPLA, contact your SPLA Reseller or the respective Account Manager. Q16. I have licensing questions on existing products that I can t find the answers to in the available documents. Who can I reach out to? Partners: For general licensing questions, please contact your SPLA Reseller or the respective Account Manager. 5